


Each Year a Little Different

by midnightwaterlily33



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Birthday, Bullying, Childhood Memories, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Foster Care, Gen, Group Homes, Growing Up, Hurt/Comfort, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith (Voltron)-centric, Minor Original Character(s), Orphan Keith (Voltron), Platonic Relationships, Sad and Happy, Team Bonding, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 10:40:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12982293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightwaterlily33/pseuds/midnightwaterlily33
Summary: His dad sings along softly to the music, something that he hardly ever does and Keith likes it a lot. He isn’t sure he’s ever been happier.When he’s done with the ice cream, his dad pulls out his lighter and flicks it on before holding it in front of Keith. He explains to him that on your birthday you get to make a wish on a candle and it comes true. He promises that next year he’ll have a real candle, and cake too, and Keith blows out the flame of his father’s lighter and is pleased with himself all the same.He teaches Keith to count four on his fingers before they drive back home, and that night, he tells Keith more bedtime stories than he can count, and he falls asleep in his dad’s bed. Yes, Keith has never been happier.His birthday doesn't remain a happy occasion forever.Basically, Keith's birthdays over the years.AKA: the keith birthday fic that got so over-indulgent that I'm posting it two months late. Lots of character analysis, fluff, and certified angst about my favorite emo boy as he grew up.





	1. Four

**Author's Note:**

> *writes a fic for Keith’s birthday that got so self-indulgent and long that I didn’t even finish it until nearly two months after his birthday* Oops. 
> 
> I know i have countless other fics on here that need updating. But this just sort of happened and i couldn't stop.

4

Keith’s fourth birthday is one of his earliest memories. He wakes up early, and he doesn’t exactly know what’s going on when his father picks him up out of bed and carries him, blanket and all, to the kitchen table. But his father made him pancakes, and he’s inexplicably happy. 

In the afternoon, he puts Keith into his truck, but they only drive as far as the gas station at the outskirts of the next town. For the first time ever, his dad lets him come inside with him, and he shows Keith a cooler filled with ice cream and lets him pick any one he wants. 

They drive a ways away from the station and his dad stops the car, gives Keith the cup of ice cream and rolls down the window. He turns on the radio, and scans the stations and plays around with Keith, stopping on each and turning to him for approval on each one. Keith giggles and gives them all a thumbs down until they’ve gone through the entire cycle of available stations. His dad actually laughs too, before he sighs and pulls out a tape and pops it in instead, leaving it on nice and quiet as Keith eats chocolate ice cream. His dad sings along softly to the music, something that he hardly ever does and Keith likes it a lot. 

Keith isn’t sure he’s ever been happier. 

When he’s done with the ice cream, his dad pulls out his Zippo lighter and flicks it on before holding it in front of Keith. He explains to him that on your birthday you get to  make a wish on a candle and it comes true. He promises that next year he’ll have a real candle, and cake too, and Keith blows out the flame of his father’s lighter and is pleased with himself all the same. 

He teaches Keith to count four on his fingers before they drive back home, and that night, he tells Keith more bedtime stories than he can count, and he falls asleep in his dad’s bed. Yes, Keith has never been happier. 


	2. Seven

7

“Happy birthday, Keith,” his dad presses a box into his hands after he’s finished his first piece of birthday cake ever, this time complete with seven whole candles, like his dad told him he’d get someday. 

Keith tears off the newspaper wrapping and opens the box to find a dark grey leather sheath, just like the one his dad wears on his belt for his knife. He makes a face, because he doesn’t have a knife. 

“Um. Daddy, I don’t-” he starts softly. 

“Because there’s a part two,” his dad says, and pulls out a second item, this one wrapped up in a thick cloth. “Though I guess you can consider this one a gift from your mom.” 

Something warm crawls up from Keith’s stomach into his chest. He tries to mask his excitement because he doesn’t want his dad to think he isn’t going to take this seriously because this is the coolest thing his dad’s ever done. 

His dad takes a deep breath as he moves closer to crouch in front of him.“Well, what I mean is she always wanted you to have this. Of course, ideally, you should probably be a little older, but here.” His father puts the cloth wrapped lump into his lap and Keith is surprised when it’s rather solid and heavy. For a moment, Keith just blinks down at it in disbelief. He untangles the cloth slowly to reveal a knife, which instantly puts him in awe. To be getting something so grown up…? And, as Keith studies it, he can’t _ believe _ how shimmery and cool this knife is. Its blade is dark silver with shimmery edges, then handle black with a purple design in the center that Keith isn’t sure what it is. Keith thinks it looks like it could be weapon from a fantasy book or something. 

He isn’t sure what to say. He guesses he should thank his dad, but the look on his dad’s face tells him he might get weird about it if he does. 

The silence is broken by his father’s gruff voice as he stands and paces away from him. “You keep that safe there in the sheath, especially if you’re walking around, ‘kay? If ya hurt yourself or destroy anything with it, I’m taking it back until next year, got it?” 

“Got it,” Keith answers. 

Before next year, his dad is gone. But Keith _ always _ kept the knife safe. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to let me know what you think of this :) haha even though there's not a lot here yet


End file.
